Ah, looks like at least 3 of us on the forum now are Empyrean converts! I am really glad you are enjoying them.
I think I have already said in an earlier thread I am running mine off an NDX2 with a direct feed to either the Violectric V280 or Hugo 2 - both to me are equally brilliant. Currently I use the leather pads, which I prefer, and the original copper cables. Noted though both you and @MaxiMe have upgraded from the standard cable and rate them highly…sounds like I need to investigate this option!
As with yourself I have heard “sounds” on my favourite music tracks which were “hidden” before using speakers (Sonus F Olympica IIs) and my trusty and excellent Sennheisser HD650s. Now I seem to be spending most of my listening hours with the Empyreans as they are just sooooo good.
I was pondering yesterday evening what HiFi items have given me the best “bang for my buck” and I think it is the Empyreans followed by the Hugo 2 and NDX2. None of course are partiularly cheap items, but IMO offer excellent value for money.
Now back to the music!
cheers
Neil
Hi Neil… interesting… yes longing to get my NDX2 back so I can feed my DAC/amp with a quality transport… currently using MacBook and USB… so am eagerly anticipating how it could get even better…
BTW after several hours of listening my ears do get warm… so I think that is nature telling me to stop listening to music and get off my backside!
Now if only they could invent an implant where you could get this sound and be active…
Maybe time to have a listen to a pair of Magnepan speakers?
Hi Simon,
I use the Empyreans/Hugo2 and my PC (Dell XPS via USB) for office working so I know the sound is very good. You are correct however, you will see (or perhaps hear?) an uplift when you get your NDX2 back.
I also suffer from warm ears, but lets face it, its a price worth paying
cheers
Neil
Hi, assume you consider these your best “bang for your buck”. Personally I am not familiar with this brand so difficult to comment. I did however listen to some Martin Logan electrostatics many years back and found them a bit “thin” at the bass end. That said, heavy rock was my thing at the time so I would probably have preferred a Marshall 200 watt stack to a hifi speaker!
It is interesting, and I dont pretend to understand the physics / mechanics, as to how an electrostatic hybrid headphone like the Empyreans can deliver such a flat response over such a wide audio spectrum. I assume you find the Magnepans performing similarly.
cheers
Welcome to the world of Meze. They do make excellent headphones. One day I might afford the upgrade tot the Empyreans. Having just got the Focal Elear and going back to my 99 Classics it’s funny how much they give the 3x more pricey ones a run for thier money.
How do you find the Brainwavz over stock pads? I got some at Xmas and started to use them in March. I rolled back to stock the other week and the difference is huge. I prefer the treble from stock but the bass can be too much and since I have moved them to my second headphone rig as the Elears have supplanted them for now I had to go back to the Brainwavz. I might get into pad rolling and look for another alternative.
The first set of pads when I bought the Meze’s were a Mk2 version. I replaced these with some Brainwavz hybrids and although the bass was more controlled, I didn’t like what they were doing to the sound and ordered a replacement set of pads, at great expense, from Meze. These were definitely larger than the originals and made the bass overly prominent in my view, albeit with a much better overall presentation than the hybrids. In what seemed like a very short period of time these pads started to wear out as well and I thought I’d give the Sheepskin leather pads from Brainwavz a go as I didn’t want to be replacing the pads every 5 minutes. In my opinion, these are superior to the Meze pads sonically. The bass is tighter, all though still warm and full. Mids and highs are a little more open and my ears seem to have more room to breathe, which may explain the reason why the presentation is a little more airy. Comfort is better because of the extra room and the leather is exactly that, not pleather, which my ears seem to rot with abandon. The other thing to mention is that the stock pads don’t keep their shape well in the long term which definitely changes the sonic signature. I actually really like the headphones but I have to say the pads are crap. I’m pleased with the Brainwavz(oval sheepskin pads) and it is certainly worth a try. You can always swap them back.
I had the original small Meze pads when I got them. The oval sheepskin are what I have on know and agree they make for a more pleasing sound overall. Never thought pads would make such a difference to the overall sound, but they do. I might give the Velour ones a try when they are in stock again.
Wow the digital transport appears so significant.
I am running the Hugo2 into the Empyreans via USB from my MacBook (until my NDX2 gets repaired), and compared the Qobuz app with playing Qobuz via Roon - and the difference is immense - with whole load of presence, detail, bass slam, separation and feel being changed, and in my opinion significantly improved, with the latter…
Listening to Regina Spektor and she and her instrumentation sounds breath taking (what we saw from the cheap seats - 48/24)
Hi Manlad,
As far as I understand, the Meze Empyreans headphones are actually magnestatic planar devices and not electrostatic. Hence my reference to Magnepan who produce magnestatic planar speakers.
Magnepan speakers tend to be fairly similar to electrostatics in respect of both their looks and their positive attributes, but unlike electrostatics they don’t require a power source and tend to be able to provide higher volumes and deeper bass.
I have a pair of Magnepan 3.6R speakers which incorporate a true ribbon tweeter, and in my opinion at their price point provide unassailable value for money. I have never heard the Meze Empyreans headphones, and so I can only assume that they provide a similar ‘type’ of sound to the best magnestatic speakers.
Indeed, the Empyreans are magnetic planar devices - configured uniquely according to their patent in this case - using two independent voice calls on a single diaphragm.
In my experience the feel in the low and high mids and bass slam is not similar to electrostatics … but the insight might be
Definitely worth an audtion I think if they are Empyrean type technology. One downside though, I only bought my SF Olympica IIs last year so to justify a change to Mrs Manlad might be difficult!!
Thanks for the heads up on this company, they had not hit my radar screen before.
interesting - I have put my Hugo in running USB exclusive mode on my Mac - driving my Empyreans - you can really hear the different characteristics between the two DACs… the Hugo is not as extended as the Hugo 2 - and not as sharply dynamic - BUT - I prefer it on several tracks - the mids are more attractively toned - voices sound more silky with the Hugo - especially female vocals…
Although it feels a bit strange typing it - but the Hugo feels like a good valve amp - where as the Hugo 2 is a good solid state - to my ears the Hugo 2 has more in common with the DAVE than the Hugo Original…to me the Hugo Original for so much sounds more musical/enjoyable… now this is also a trait I noticed through my 552 into my ATC speakers using my NDX2 as transport - so to me this definitely points to the DAC/amp deciding this for I how I hear things.
I have never heard a Hugo and Hugo2 side by side so it’s difficult for me to comment on this difference. Just pondering though, does the Hugo 2 sound more “DAVEish” because the Hugo 2 has some trickle down technology perhaps?
No doubt though, DACs do have a sound signature, my NDX2 inbuilt DAC is certainly different to the Hugo 2. I find it difficult though to prefer one over the other - both have strengths depending on the music being played. One thing I am sure of though, I like both!!
For info, this week I ran my NDX2 digital out into the Hugo 2 and then into my Violectric V280 headphone amp and onto the Empyreans. I then did a side by side comparison on the Hugo 2 HP output versus the Violectric and overall the latter combination (with the Violectric) was IMO better. I would describe it as having more “control and grip” on the sound coming out of the Empyreans. I guess it’s similar to the effect one gets from speakers when going from say a NAP200 to a NAP300.
Anyone else found a similar effect?
To be fair I think the Hugo and DAVE share the same core technology as with Hugo2… just differently scaled implementations… it’s the sonic signature of Hugo2 I find more similar to DAVE than with the Hugo.
With regard to comparing the headphone amps of the Hugo2 and the V280, I would genuinely be surprised if they didn’t sound different … I suspect in the Headphone world it’s like comparing a 250DR with 500DR… especially if running balanced phones on the latter.
Just built myself a rack for my bedroom head rig. Using 3x ikea chopping boards and some bits and bobs from Toolstation. Bottom section will have a dedicated headamp when the one I want is available again.
I processed the scale all wrong to start with. Normal size rack and giant headphones!
ASDA, IKEA… Makes me wonder whether there would be any improvement in sound quality if one upgraded to John Lewis/Waitrose chopping boards…